Blog
The Remarkable Story Behind
Silent Night, Holy Night
In 1818 a band of roving actors were performing throughout the little towns and hamlets of the Austrian Alps. One night the players came to the tiny village of Oberndorf , near Salzburg , for their annual presentation of the Christmas story. The play was scheduled for St. Nicholas Church, but the organ bellows had been eaten away by mice and could not be repaired in time. The show was presented in a private home instead, and the church’s assistant pastor, Josef Mohr, attended. So impressed was Mohr with the simplicity of the play and the sincerity of the actors that he began to reflect on the real meaning of the Christmas story.
As Mohr walked home that night through the new-fallen snow, his path led him over a small hill. Looking down on the little village below, Mohr was deeply impressed by the beauty of the glowing scene and the majestic silence of the wintry night. His thoughts took him back to the first Christmas—when angels spoke to wandering shepherds on a holy night such as this—and a poem began to form in Mohr’s mind, “Stille Nacht! Heilige Nacht!”
Arriving home, the pastor quickly penned the words that would inscribe his poem into history. He sincerely wished his piece could be sung at the church’s upcoming Christmas service, but he had no music. The next day Mohr rushed the verses over to his good friend Franz Gruber, the church organist. It is reported that Gruber composed the musical setting the same day he received Mohr’s poem.
On Christmas Day Gruber and Mohr sang their new song to the congregation gathered in the little church. Since the organ was still in ill repair, Gruber accompanied on his guitar, and “Silent Night” was introduced to the world.
A few weeks later an organ repairman arrived at the church. When he finished his work, Gruber sat down to test the instrument. The first song he played was his new Christmas composition. Deeply touched by the music, the repairman took the song back to his own Alpine village. There, a family of gifted Austrian singers, the Strasser sisters, picked it up and began singing it throughout the countryside.
The Strasser quartet created a sensation, and the carol quickly became a European favorite. It was translated into English from the Austrian language in 1863 by Jane Campbell and made its first appearance in America in 1871 in Charles Hutchins’ Sunday School Hymnal.
“Silent night! holy night!
All is calm, all is bright,
‘Round yon virgin mother and Child!
Holy Infant,so tender and mild,
Sleep in heavenly peace,
Sleep in heavenly peace.”
“Silent Night, Holy Night” is as fresh and beautiful today as when it was first heard in that little Austrian town more than 190 years ago. Year after year we lovingly sing this simple tribute to our Savior, Jesus Christ.
LIFE’S JOURNEY
Pause a few moments and reflect on the awesome fact that Jesus came to earth for you...to give you His love...to give you His peace. During the holiday season we think of Him as the Babe in the Manger—but He really came to die on a cross for the sins of the whole world, including your sins and mine—giving us heavenly peace.
“For God sent not his Son into the world to
condemn the world; but that the world through
him might be saved.” John 3:17
“And the peace of God, which passeth all
understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds
through Christ Jesus.” Philippians 4:7
God truly does bring peace into the hearts of every person who comes to Him in a personal way. Peace overflows our hearts when we realize that we are His children and that we are on our way to Heaven to be with Him. But we must not think of Christ as merely a “babe” in a manger. We must accept Him as our crucified, risen Lord.
Would you like to have God’s “heavenly peace” in your heart? If that’s your desire, here’s how you can do just that:
(1) Admit that we are all sinners.
“For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God.” Romans 3:23
“All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way...” Isaiah 53:6
(2) Realize that there is a heavy penalty on our sins.
“For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.” Romans 6:23
(3) Believe that Christ came to earth to die for our sins.
“For Christ also hath once suffered for sins, the just for the unjust, that he might bring us to God.” 1 Peter 3:18a)
“...while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.” Romans 5:8b
(4) Accept God’s gift of His Son into your heart, personally.
“And this is the record, that God hath given to us eternal life, and this life is in his Son.” 1 John 5:11
“For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.” Romans 10:13
Will you accept this wonderful gift that God offers you? Will you, right now, bow your head and pray this prayer, meaning it with all of your heart?
Dear God, I realize that I am a sinner and cannot save myself. I want to spend eternity with You in Heaven. I accept Jesus’ death on the cross as payment for my sins. Lord Jesus, come into my heart and save me right now. I turn my life over to You. Help me to live for You all of the days of my life. Thank You for giving me Your heavenly peace. Amen.
THE PAINTINGS
Marilyn is back to painting with a vengeance! In addition to teaching her Ladies Bible Classes, keeping our home immaculately clean and cheery, and helping with the music program at the Church, she is doing what she dearly loves to do -- paint.
In spite of the financial crunch in our country, the Lord has been good to her in allowing some of her work to sell.
Bobby Terry of Decatur, Alabama, Lindsay’s brother, has manufactured some beautiful pendants with a copy of one of Marilyn’s oil paintings on it. Bobby is a real artist when it comes to making jewelry and his work is much in demand. We hope to show you the pendant, which has a sterling silver-plated chain and clasp, in the very near future.
You can find Marilyn’s latest painting on the web site under “Marilyn’s Art.” Back with more later.
Wednesday, December 16, 2009
Thursday, July 23, 2009
A Song Story
A Song Story
Following is one of the two most interesting and heart-warming song stories that I have ever obtained from a songwriter, and I have interviewed more than 150 such writers. I want to share this with you. Read the story in the songwriter’s own words. It also appears in
I COULD SING OF YOUR LOVE FOREVER: Stories Behind One Hundred of the World’s Most Popular Worship Songs. Publsihed by Thomas Nelson Publishers.
Hearing God’s Invitation Near Wembledon
But the hour cometh, and now is,
when the true worshippers shall worship the Father
in spirit and in truth: for the Father seeketh such to worship Him.
Brian Doerksen was born into a very musical home in Abbotsford, just outside of Vancouver, British Columbia. Brian said, "I have been interested in music as long as I can remember. I started piano lessons as a child, but as soon as I was old enough to make my own decision I, regretfully, quit."
"I grew up in a Christian home, and it wasn’t as if I didn’t know the truth of the Gospel -- I just didn’t want to live it. But when I was 15 years of age, probably as a result of my parent’s prayers, I had one of those sovereign encounters with God. One night in my bedroom, in the home from which I’m now speaking to you, the presence of God came into the room and I was convicted of my sin. I heard the Lord saying, ‘Give me your whole life to serve me. And I said, ‘Yes.’ I began learning to play the guitar. I played for hours each day, and started worshipping God in my room."
"It was not until I was the full-time Music Pastor at Langley Vineyard Christian Fellowship, in British Columbia, that I began to seriously write songs. I was using songs from other sources, but became convinced that we needed something else, other expressions to worship God."
I then asked Brian to give me the details surrounding the writing of his most famous song, Come, Now Is the Time to Worship. He did so, and I pass it on to you. Tighten your seat belt!
"Emotionally and spiritually the song came at the end of the darkest and lowest season of my life, the summer of 1977. We had tried a major ministry project that had failed. A group working with me, and I, lost over one million dollars. I lost our home."
"I moved my family to England and became the Worship Pastor of Southwest London Vineyard, meeting in the Elliot School. I had no other place to live and no job offers. I felt as if I was barely hanging on to my faith in God. My wife and I were severely tested both with our losses and with finding out that three of our six children had a condition called Fragile X Syndrome, a form of mental challenge."
"One morning, within months of moving to London, I went for a exercise/prayer walk, as I often did. As I was walking through southwest London, very close to Wembledon Stadium, I heard this line as clear as a bell, floating through the air, ‘Come, now is the time to worship...’ I thought, WOW!, the call of worship is being sounded all of the time and in all kinds of ways."
"When I got home I ran upstairs, sat down at the piano, found the key of the song I had just heard and began playing it over and over again. Suddenly I realized that I was in my own dark time, and that His call to worship doesn’t just come to those who have it all together, that have no doubts, or hard experiences, but it comes to all of us, across the board."
"The song became like wings to lift me up from those shadows that had almost engulfed me. It was my private song for several days. I made sure of every word. I then brought it to my church. Within weeks of teaching it to our congregation I began hearing reports of other churches singing it. Within months reports came of the song being sung in other countries. I soon heard that it was being sung in South Africa."
"Requests began to pour in asking permission to record Come, Now Is the Time To Worship. Soon after that we moved back home to Canada, to the house I was raised in. We were able to purchase it from my parents."
Life is better now in Abbotsford for Brian, his wife Joyce, and their children. At the time of this writing Brian has just finished a new album of songs and had the joy of having one of his daughters play an instrument on the project.
THE PAINTINGS
The Languid Limb and the Lighthouse
Marilyn is back to painting following her battle with cancer. She has just completed a picture that she calls The Languid Limb. It is painted from a photo that we shot on a picture-taking excursion one day. This is a very special painting and comes at a vital time in her life. The word "languid" means listless or lacking in vitality or energy. The "limb" has seen its best days. It no longer will be a growing, thriving part of a strong tree that children can climb on.
But, in the background you can see the St. Augustine Lighthouse which has stood since 1871. It is as strong today as when it came into being. It points those to safety who are languishing on a troubled sea. What a contrast!
Many were the times while in the throws of her battle with her cancer treatments and surgery that Marilyn longed for the return of the vital, vibrant and victorious days. She yearned to be rescued from this sea of distress and uncertainty -- this dreaded cancer. She ached to be free of the chemicals that brought on this lurid fever, these chills and this frightful nausea, and yes, this "thing" that took her "glory" -- her hair. Yet, through it all she kept her eyes on the Lighthouse.
Unlike "The Languid Limb" she has revived, with the help of our blessed Lord and Savior. She has gained new strength and vitality and sailed into a quiet and peaceful harbor. She is back in church and singing in the choir. In the fall she plans to be back teaching her ladies Bible classes. She is back to going places with our children and grandchildren, cooking and planning activities for them, and driving herself to the store.
The Lord, her eternal Lighthouse, is ever standing strong and mighty to help in time of trouble. He is good, all of the time!
LIFE’S JOURNEY
Guilty!, What Now?
Adversity, how blunt are all the arrows of thy quiver
in comparison with those of guilt. - Blair
In the early 1900s, a lad of 12, went out into the barnyard among the animals one day and saw a goose walking by. He threw a stone and hit it squarely on the head. It fell dead. His mother had twenty-four geese, but this one was her favorite. He quickly buried it, and was unaware at the time that his sister had seen him carry out his deed.
That evening after supper she informed him that if he didn’t volunteer to do the dishes she would tell his "secret." For several days she was able to get him to do her chores by simply reminding him of the goose incident. He felt bound to do her work rather than confess his guilt to his mother.
Finally, one morning, after his sister had tried to persuade him to do the dishes by reminding him of the "goose," he went to his mother and meekly told her the whole story, asking her to forgive him. She hugged him and said, "I was looking out the window and saw you kill the goose, and I was wondering how long you were going to be your sister’s slave before coming to me. I forgive you."
Fear of reprisal at the hands of his own mother, who loved him with all her heart, had made his life miserable. She was longing for her child to come to her with the problem and let her assure him of her forgiveness.
The Sin That Blocks Our Fellowship
There is only "one" sin in our lives over which we cannot find victory -- the "unconfessed" sin. Satan has made a slave of many of us -- if only for a period of time -- simply because we could find no way to deal with guilt. We would not believe and accept God’s promise given in 1 John 1:9, If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
Experiencing Victory in Christ
There are several factors that can contribute to a victorious life.
• Confession of one’s sins. Remember, we have learned that Jesus knows about them anyway, so confess them and leave them at His feet, determining never to do the same again. Remember this also; the sins of a Christian need the covering of the blood of Christ every day, just as when he or she was first saved. His blood cleanses our sins daily!
• Claim His forgiveness as your own. When you are urged within yourself to confess "again" something that has already been confessed to Him a number of times before, just pause and thank Him for the forgiveness of your sins. Say, "Lord, I realize you have forgiven me and washed away my sins...THANK YOU!" "If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness." 1 John 1:9
• Care for others. The greatest way to get your mind off of yourself is to remember others and serve them in some fashion.
• Commence some task for Christ today. Loose yourself in some deed for the Savior.
Often we have heard that time is a great healer. Our actions are the healers -- as we act on God’s bidding and on His plan.
The heaviest load any man carries on his back is a pack of guilt.
- Anon
Forgiveness from others is charity; from God, grace; from oneself, wisdom.
- Unknown
Never does a man stand so tall
as when he forgoes revenge, and dares to forgive.
-J. Harold Smith
Additional Scriptures:
"If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven , and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land." 2 Chronicles 7:14
"Judge not, and ye shall no be judged: condemn not, and ye shall not be condemned: forgive, and ye shall be forgiven." Luke 6:37
Following is one of the two most interesting and heart-warming song stories that I have ever obtained from a songwriter, and I have interviewed more than 150 such writers. I want to share this with you. Read the story in the songwriter’s own words. It also appears in
I COULD SING OF YOUR LOVE FOREVER: Stories Behind One Hundred of the World’s Most Popular Worship Songs. Publsihed by Thomas Nelson Publishers.
Hearing God’s Invitation Near Wembledon
But the hour cometh, and now is,
when the true worshippers shall worship the Father
in spirit and in truth: for the Father seeketh such to worship Him.
Brian Doerksen was born into a very musical home in Abbotsford, just outside of Vancouver, British Columbia. Brian said, "I have been interested in music as long as I can remember. I started piano lessons as a child, but as soon as I was old enough to make my own decision I, regretfully, quit."
"I grew up in a Christian home, and it wasn’t as if I didn’t know the truth of the Gospel -- I just didn’t want to live it. But when I was 15 years of age, probably as a result of my parent’s prayers, I had one of those sovereign encounters with God. One night in my bedroom, in the home from which I’m now speaking to you, the presence of God came into the room and I was convicted of my sin. I heard the Lord saying, ‘Give me your whole life to serve me. And I said, ‘Yes.’ I began learning to play the guitar. I played for hours each day, and started worshipping God in my room."
"It was not until I was the full-time Music Pastor at Langley Vineyard Christian Fellowship, in British Columbia, that I began to seriously write songs. I was using songs from other sources, but became convinced that we needed something else, other expressions to worship God."
I then asked Brian to give me the details surrounding the writing of his most famous song, Come, Now Is the Time to Worship. He did so, and I pass it on to you. Tighten your seat belt!
"Emotionally and spiritually the song came at the end of the darkest and lowest season of my life, the summer of 1977. We had tried a major ministry project that had failed. A group working with me, and I, lost over one million dollars. I lost our home."
"I moved my family to England and became the Worship Pastor of Southwest London Vineyard, meeting in the Elliot School. I had no other place to live and no job offers. I felt as if I was barely hanging on to my faith in God. My wife and I were severely tested both with our losses and with finding out that three of our six children had a condition called Fragile X Syndrome, a form of mental challenge."
"One morning, within months of moving to London, I went for a exercise/prayer walk, as I often did. As I was walking through southwest London, very close to Wembledon Stadium, I heard this line as clear as a bell, floating through the air, ‘Come, now is the time to worship...’ I thought, WOW!, the call of worship is being sounded all of the time and in all kinds of ways."
"When I got home I ran upstairs, sat down at the piano, found the key of the song I had just heard and began playing it over and over again. Suddenly I realized that I was in my own dark time, and that His call to worship doesn’t just come to those who have it all together, that have no doubts, or hard experiences, but it comes to all of us, across the board."
"The song became like wings to lift me up from those shadows that had almost engulfed me. It was my private song for several days. I made sure of every word. I then brought it to my church. Within weeks of teaching it to our congregation I began hearing reports of other churches singing it. Within months reports came of the song being sung in other countries. I soon heard that it was being sung in South Africa."
"Requests began to pour in asking permission to record Come, Now Is the Time To Worship. Soon after that we moved back home to Canada, to the house I was raised in. We were able to purchase it from my parents."
Life is better now in Abbotsford for Brian, his wife Joyce, and their children. At the time of this writing Brian has just finished a new album of songs and had the joy of having one of his daughters play an instrument on the project.
THE PAINTINGS
The Languid Limb and the Lighthouse
Marilyn is back to painting following her battle with cancer. She has just completed a picture that she calls The Languid Limb. It is painted from a photo that we shot on a picture-taking excursion one day. This is a very special painting and comes at a vital time in her life. The word "languid" means listless or lacking in vitality or energy. The "limb" has seen its best days. It no longer will be a growing, thriving part of a strong tree that children can climb on.
But, in the background you can see the St. Augustine Lighthouse which has stood since 1871. It is as strong today as when it came into being. It points those to safety who are languishing on a troubled sea. What a contrast!
Many were the times while in the throws of her battle with her cancer treatments and surgery that Marilyn longed for the return of the vital, vibrant and victorious days. She yearned to be rescued from this sea of distress and uncertainty -- this dreaded cancer. She ached to be free of the chemicals that brought on this lurid fever, these chills and this frightful nausea, and yes, this "thing" that took her "glory" -- her hair. Yet, through it all she kept her eyes on the Lighthouse.
Unlike "The Languid Limb" she has revived, with the help of our blessed Lord and Savior. She has gained new strength and vitality and sailed into a quiet and peaceful harbor. She is back in church and singing in the choir. In the fall she plans to be back teaching her ladies Bible classes. She is back to going places with our children and grandchildren, cooking and planning activities for them, and driving herself to the store.
The Lord, her eternal Lighthouse, is ever standing strong and mighty to help in time of trouble. He is good, all of the time!
LIFE’S JOURNEY
Guilty!, What Now?
Adversity, how blunt are all the arrows of thy quiver
in comparison with those of guilt. - Blair
In the early 1900s, a lad of 12, went out into the barnyard among the animals one day and saw a goose walking by. He threw a stone and hit it squarely on the head. It fell dead. His mother had twenty-four geese, but this one was her favorite. He quickly buried it, and was unaware at the time that his sister had seen him carry out his deed.
That evening after supper she informed him that if he didn’t volunteer to do the dishes she would tell his "secret." For several days she was able to get him to do her chores by simply reminding him of the goose incident. He felt bound to do her work rather than confess his guilt to his mother.
Finally, one morning, after his sister had tried to persuade him to do the dishes by reminding him of the "goose," he went to his mother and meekly told her the whole story, asking her to forgive him. She hugged him and said, "I was looking out the window and saw you kill the goose, and I was wondering how long you were going to be your sister’s slave before coming to me. I forgive you."
Fear of reprisal at the hands of his own mother, who loved him with all her heart, had made his life miserable. She was longing for her child to come to her with the problem and let her assure him of her forgiveness.
The Sin That Blocks Our Fellowship
There is only "one" sin in our lives over which we cannot find victory -- the "unconfessed" sin. Satan has made a slave of many of us -- if only for a period of time -- simply because we could find no way to deal with guilt. We would not believe and accept God’s promise given in 1 John 1:9, If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
Experiencing Victory in Christ
There are several factors that can contribute to a victorious life.
• Confession of one’s sins. Remember, we have learned that Jesus knows about them anyway, so confess them and leave them at His feet, determining never to do the same again. Remember this also; the sins of a Christian need the covering of the blood of Christ every day, just as when he or she was first saved. His blood cleanses our sins daily!
• Claim His forgiveness as your own. When you are urged within yourself to confess "again" something that has already been confessed to Him a number of times before, just pause and thank Him for the forgiveness of your sins. Say, "Lord, I realize you have forgiven me and washed away my sins...THANK YOU!" "If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness." 1 John 1:9
• Care for others. The greatest way to get your mind off of yourself is to remember others and serve them in some fashion.
• Commence some task for Christ today. Loose yourself in some deed for the Savior.
Often we have heard that time is a great healer. Our actions are the healers -- as we act on God’s bidding and on His plan.
The heaviest load any man carries on his back is a pack of guilt.
- Anon
Forgiveness from others is charity; from God, grace; from oneself, wisdom.
- Unknown
Never does a man stand so tall
as when he forgoes revenge, and dares to forgive.
-J. Harold Smith
Additional Scriptures:
"If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven , and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land." 2 Chronicles 7:14
"Judge not, and ye shall no be judged: condemn not, and ye shall not be condemned: forgive, and ye shall be forgiven." Luke 6:37
Friday, July 3, 2009
Lindsay and Marilyn Terry
Our Blog
Welcome! Each time you visit our blog we want you to take away some information that will help you to, (1) live a more victorious life, (2) know more about our resources and art, and (3) read something that will cause you to want to come back to our blog week after week.
Please pass the web site address along to your friends. We will do our best to make our blog as varied and informative as possible.
Published Works
I want to tell you about a song story book that was recently published. Hal Leonard Corporation, the largest print music publishing company in the world, contacted me and told me that they wanted to publish a book containing some of most popular worship songs in the world.
Normally they print secular music such as broadway musicals and the latest in popular compositions. However, this time they said that they not only wanted to publish the worship songs, but also wanted to include the stories behind each of the songs. They asked if I would take on the project of providing the stories behind the songs. I agreed to do so, and was sent a list of the songs they were publishing.
They had, at first, considered scattering the stories throughout the book, or perhaps putting them in the back of the book, along with some biographical information about me, but before going to press they decided to put the stories and the bio material right up front. You can see a copy of the book on this web site.
You can order the book from amazon.com or halleonard.com or call 1-800-554-0626. Most of the Hal Leonard music is sold in secular music stores.
The Paintings
In this blog we want to share some news about Marilyn. Many of you know what she has endured in the past six or seven months, but not everyone has heard so consider the following,
In December, 2008, Marilyn was diagnosed with “stage 3” breast cancer. She had been seeing specialists and gynecologists for fifteen years trying to find out why she had so much pain and so many problems in the left breast. After many mammograms, cyst aspirations, an MRI, X-rays, CT Scans, etc., etc., showed no definite problems, a wonderful surgeon, Dr. Leopoldo Gonzalez, who only does breast surgery, decided to take four biopsy samples of a suspicious area. Four days later he informed us that Marilyn had cancer.
She took four treatments of chemotherapy, which Dr. Gonzalez said completely annihilated the cancer. A tumor the size of a quarter had completely disappeared. However, he and Marilyn had already decided that a mastectomy should be done. That was completed on June 4, 2009. Several lymph nodes were taken which were negative for cancer cells. Therapists are now working with her to get her range of motion back to normal. She is doing fine.
Her oncologist, Dr. Marc Warmuth, has informed us that CT Scans, an MRI, bone scans, etc., have revealed that she does not have any detectable cancer anywhere else in her body. For all of these things we truly thank the Lord! We are grateful to so many who prayed daily and regularly for her.
She is now being helped at home by therapists who are trying to get her back to a normal range of motion with the left arm. Lymph nodes were removed from under her arm.
As I write this information about her, she has gone upstairs to her studio and is now painting again. During her treatments it was almost impossible for her to continue painting. She is working on a beautiful Florida scene that we hope to show you in the web site in the very near future. Continue to pray for Marilyn and her complete recovery.
Life’s Journey
Abortion
A baby is a small member of the human family who makes love stronger, days shorter, nights longer, the bank roll smaller, the home happier, clothes shabbier, the past forgotten, and the future worth living for.
Do you know what is the number one surgery performed in America? It used to be tonsillectomy. That is no longer the case. Believe it or not, today, it is abortion. According to the latest figures, since Roe vs Wade went into effect, there have been more than forty million abortions.
Here is a most profound statement from a letter to the editor of a periodical, addressing a basic question: “A person’s death should not precede his birth.” This is exactly what happens in abortion, which should be defined honestly.
Abortion means ending a pregnancy. Most abortions are done in the first trimester (the first 3 months of the pregnancy). They are done by a doctor and other health care professionals in a hospital, doctor’s office or health center. There are two types of abortion: medical and surgical. Currently, abortion laws vary from country to country, with regard to religious, moral, and cultural sensibilities.
Every physician who performs abortions will readily tell you that during the procedure, in any stage of the pregnancy, something living is killed.. The life that has begun in the womb of the mother is brought to a swift and deadly end. That is an indisputable fact, not a moral judgement.
Yes! Scientists agree that a new and unique human individual is created at the moment of conception. From that moment --when life begins--any further formation of the person is a matter of time, growth and maturation -- a process that each of us continues throughout our entire life.
Helpful Scriptures:
For thou hast possessed my reins: thou hast covered me in my mother’s womb.
I will praise thee; for I am fearfully and wonderfully made: marvellous are thy works; and that my soul knoweth right well. - Psa. 139:13,14
Listen, O isles, unto me; and hearken, ye people, from far; The LORD hath called me from the womb; from the bowels of my mother hath he made mention of my name. - Isaiah 49:1
Before I formed thee in the belly I knew thee; and before thou camest forth out of the womb I sanctified thee, and I ordained thee a prophet unto the nations. - Jeremiah. 1:5
I've noticed that everybody that is for abortion
has already been born.
- Ronald Reagan
I’ll never walk the shores of life
Or know the tides of time.
For I was coming, but unloved;
And that, my only crime.
- From Ballad of the Unknown by Fay Clayborn
The product, abortion, is skillfully marketed and sold to the woman at the crisis time in her life. She buys the product, finds it defective and wants to return it for a refund. But, it’s too late.- Carol Everett
Our Blog
Welcome! Each time you visit our blog we want you to take away some information that will help you to, (1) live a more victorious life, (2) know more about our resources and art, and (3) read something that will cause you to want to come back to our blog week after week.
Please pass the web site address along to your friends. We will do our best to make our blog as varied and informative as possible.
Published Works
I want to tell you about a song story book that was recently published. Hal Leonard Corporation, the largest print music publishing company in the world, contacted me and told me that they wanted to publish a book containing some of most popular worship songs in the world.
Normally they print secular music such as broadway musicals and the latest in popular compositions. However, this time they said that they not only wanted to publish the worship songs, but also wanted to include the stories behind each of the songs. They asked if I would take on the project of providing the stories behind the songs. I agreed to do so, and was sent a list of the songs they were publishing.
They had, at first, considered scattering the stories throughout the book, or perhaps putting them in the back of the book, along with some biographical information about me, but before going to press they decided to put the stories and the bio material right up front. You can see a copy of the book on this web site.
You can order the book from amazon.com or halleonard.com or call 1-800-554-0626. Most of the Hal Leonard music is sold in secular music stores.
The Paintings
In this blog we want to share some news about Marilyn. Many of you know what she has endured in the past six or seven months, but not everyone has heard so consider the following,
In December, 2008, Marilyn was diagnosed with “stage 3” breast cancer. She had been seeing specialists and gynecologists for fifteen years trying to find out why she had so much pain and so many problems in the left breast. After many mammograms, cyst aspirations, an MRI, X-rays, CT Scans, etc., etc., showed no definite problems, a wonderful surgeon, Dr. Leopoldo Gonzalez, who only does breast surgery, decided to take four biopsy samples of a suspicious area. Four days later he informed us that Marilyn had cancer.
She took four treatments of chemotherapy, which Dr. Gonzalez said completely annihilated the cancer. A tumor the size of a quarter had completely disappeared. However, he and Marilyn had already decided that a mastectomy should be done. That was completed on June 4, 2009. Several lymph nodes were taken which were negative for cancer cells. Therapists are now working with her to get her range of motion back to normal. She is doing fine.
Her oncologist, Dr. Marc Warmuth, has informed us that CT Scans, an MRI, bone scans, etc., have revealed that she does not have any detectable cancer anywhere else in her body. For all of these things we truly thank the Lord! We are grateful to so many who prayed daily and regularly for her.
She is now being helped at home by therapists who are trying to get her back to a normal range of motion with the left arm. Lymph nodes were removed from under her arm.
As I write this information about her, she has gone upstairs to her studio and is now painting again. During her treatments it was almost impossible for her to continue painting. She is working on a beautiful Florida scene that we hope to show you in the web site in the very near future. Continue to pray for Marilyn and her complete recovery.
Life’s Journey
Abortion
A baby is a small member of the human family who makes love stronger, days shorter, nights longer, the bank roll smaller, the home happier, clothes shabbier, the past forgotten, and the future worth living for.
Do you know what is the number one surgery performed in America? It used to be tonsillectomy. That is no longer the case. Believe it or not, today, it is abortion. According to the latest figures, since Roe vs Wade went into effect, there have been more than forty million abortions.
Here is a most profound statement from a letter to the editor of a periodical, addressing a basic question: “A person’s death should not precede his birth.” This is exactly what happens in abortion, which should be defined honestly.
Abortion means ending a pregnancy. Most abortions are done in the first trimester (the first 3 months of the pregnancy). They are done by a doctor and other health care professionals in a hospital, doctor’s office or health center. There are two types of abortion: medical and surgical. Currently, abortion laws vary from country to country, with regard to religious, moral, and cultural sensibilities.
Every physician who performs abortions will readily tell you that during the procedure, in any stage of the pregnancy, something living is killed.. The life that has begun in the womb of the mother is brought to a swift and deadly end. That is an indisputable fact, not a moral judgement.
Yes! Scientists agree that a new and unique human individual is created at the moment of conception. From that moment --when life begins--any further formation of the person is a matter of time, growth and maturation -- a process that each of us continues throughout our entire life.
Helpful Scriptures:
For thou hast possessed my reins: thou hast covered me in my mother’s womb.
I will praise thee; for I am fearfully and wonderfully made: marvellous are thy works; and that my soul knoweth right well. - Psa. 139:13,14
Listen, O isles, unto me; and hearken, ye people, from far; The LORD hath called me from the womb; from the bowels of my mother hath he made mention of my name. - Isaiah 49:1
Before I formed thee in the belly I knew thee; and before thou camest forth out of the womb I sanctified thee, and I ordained thee a prophet unto the nations. - Jeremiah. 1:5
I've noticed that everybody that is for abortion
has already been born.
- Ronald Reagan
I’ll never walk the shores of life
Or know the tides of time.
For I was coming, but unloved;
And that, my only crime.
- From Ballad of the Unknown by Fay Clayborn
The product, abortion, is skillfully marketed and sold to the woman at the crisis time in her life. She buys the product, finds it defective and wants to return it for a refund. But, it’s too late.- Carol Everett
Tuesday, April 28, 2009
2009 Easter Sunrise Service
One of the great, yearly high points in our lives is the annual Easter Sunrise Service on Crescent Beach near St. Augustine, Florida. Our research suggests that it is probably the largest Easter sunrise service on any beach in the world. This year the crowd was not counted, but looked comparable to the ‘08 gathering, which numbered more than 5,000.
I had the privilege of directing the Celebration Singers who opened the service with a victorious song of the resurrection (see them in the "About Us" section of this web site), and I afterward led the massive crowd in singing Lord I Lift Your Name on High. After two other songs by the Celebration Singers and more crowd singing, Jeff Varnadoe, our soloist for the past several years, sang prior to Dr. David Beauchamp’s resurrection message.
Following Dr. Beauchamp message several people gave their hearts to Christ, and twenty-three were baptized in the Atlantic Ocean. What a wonderful sight!
The weather was perfect and the sun rising over the horizon of the Atlantic was breathtaking. The crowd was inspired by the large 25 foot cross as it was silhouetted again the blaze of the morning sun.
This annual event is sponsored by Crescent Beach Baptist Church in St. Augustine. Their first Easter sunrise service was held about 12 years ago with 28 people attending.
LIFE’S JOURNEY
Conquering the "What If?" Factor
"I’ve suffered a great many catastrophes in my life.
Most of them never happened. - Mark Twain
Years ago in the deep south there lived an elderly black lady who enjoyed sitting in her rocking chair, in the afternoon, on the front porch of her small rural home. Friends who often strolled by would stop and chat with her. On one such occasion a gentleman waved to her and asked, "Auntie! how are you today?" She replied, "Not too good today. You see, when I feels good, I feels bad, cause I’m ‘fraid I’m gonna feel worse."
Without realizing it she found herself living in the world of the What If? Factor. Our first response is, "Poor lady." And then suddenly we remember that we, also, all too often make a visit to her world. Of course, our problems may not be a fear of sickness, but a thousand and one other What If?s, or "it might have been," or "if only."
The What If? Factor
No question that we can ask ourselves, in any language, can bring us more anxiety than, What If? Suddenly our minds begin to be overtaken with the possible, fearful answers to that two-word question. In the midst of our trepidation, we have the tendency to forget the watch-care of our Heavenly Father, and all of His promises made to us even before the problems became figments of our imaginations.
Thousands of us have suffered untold grief and countless tragedies have been played out on the imaginary stages of our lives. They are all too real to flippantly pass them off as an unwelcome fantasy. We should recognize them for what they really are. Satan often attacks us in our weakest places. How sad when we needlessly suffer such mental anguish, heartache and sorrow -- again and again. Can that be corrected, or at least curtailed? The answer is a resounding YES!
Often the What If? factor is helpful.
A certain amount of caution which is derived from the What If? factor is healthy. It causes us to buy insurance or take necessary precautions concerning dangerous situations that may take place in our lives. Presently a major insurance company, MetLife, is running commercials on television offering help with the "if" in LifE. But, when this healthy, helpful, precautionary factor grows into a monster, it can drive away peace, joy and happiness.
For you, or for me, the only way to conquer this problem is through simple faith in God and His promises, and with very wise, godly counsel. At the end of this chapter are some helpful Scriptures. Read them carefully and prayerfully when troubles begin to show their ugly heads.
Courage while facing the What If? factor.
Two hunters were making their way down a small trail, deep in a wooded area. They had walked for hours and had run out of water. Presently they spotted a small cabin, way up ahead. Smoke curled from the top of the chimney, so they assumed that someone must be home. "Surely we can get some water there," they thought. As they moved closer, they could see what appeared to be an elderly lady sitting on the front porch. They slowed their pace and approached with caution, not wanting to frighten her.
They thought it best to hide their guns, so they leaned them against a tree, positioning them so that they could not be seen from the porch. They, very carefully, moved a little closer. It seemed as if they had not been spotted by the lady, so, not wanting to walk right up to her, they decided to get her attention from a distance. One of the men shouted, "Is anyone here?" The lady slowly turned her head toward them, and after a few seconds said, "Jes me and Jesus."
The What If? factor held no fear for her. A long time before she had become secure in her position with God. She rested completely in Him. I’m sure she remembered that Christ had said to her, "I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee." Hebrews 13:5 What a treasure!! Many a wealthy man would give all of his fortune to have such peace and contentment. And so would many of you.
Trusting is more difficult for some.
Keeping the What If? factor in check is much more difficult for some than others. I don’t know all of the reasons for that, but it is a fact. Some have to work harder at it. Some, in order to conquer and manage it have to pray more and stay in the Word of God longer. Mature Christians seem to have less trouble with the management of it.
The promises of God are as sure as His very being. And be sure of this; He loves you and me with an everlasting, unfailing love that we will only be able to understand when we stand before His presence.
Consider these Scriptures:
"He that dwelleth in the secret place of the most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty. I will say of the Lord, He is my refuge and my fortress: my God; in Him will I trust...he shall call upon me, and I will answer him, I will be with him in trouble; I will deliver him, and honor him. With long life will I satisfy him, and show him my salvation." Psalm 91:1,2,15,16
"Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths." Proverbs 3:5,6
"For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind." 2 Timothy 1:7
"I sought the Lord, and He heard me, and delivered me from all my fears." Psalm 34:4
Every step toward Christ kills a doubt.
Every thought, word, and deed for Him carries you
away from discouragement.
- Theodore Ledyard Cuyler
Since fear is unreasonable, never try to reason with it.
So called "positive thinking" is no weapon against fear.
Only positive faith can rout the black menace of fear
and give life a radiance.
- Marion Hilliard
Fear knocked at the door. Faith answered. No one was there.
- Unknown
One of the great, yearly high points in our lives is the annual Easter Sunrise Service on Crescent Beach near St. Augustine, Florida. Our research suggests that it is probably the largest Easter sunrise service on any beach in the world. This year the crowd was not counted, but looked comparable to the ‘08 gathering, which numbered more than 5,000.
I had the privilege of directing the Celebration Singers who opened the service with a victorious song of the resurrection (see them in the "About Us" section of this web site), and I afterward led the massive crowd in singing Lord I Lift Your Name on High. After two other songs by the Celebration Singers and more crowd singing, Jeff Varnadoe, our soloist for the past several years, sang prior to Dr. David Beauchamp’s resurrection message.
Following Dr. Beauchamp message several people gave their hearts to Christ, and twenty-three were baptized in the Atlantic Ocean. What a wonderful sight!
The weather was perfect and the sun rising over the horizon of the Atlantic was breathtaking. The crowd was inspired by the large 25 foot cross as it was silhouetted again the blaze of the morning sun.
This annual event is sponsored by Crescent Beach Baptist Church in St. Augustine. Their first Easter sunrise service was held about 12 years ago with 28 people attending.
LIFE’S JOURNEY
Conquering the "What If?" Factor
"I’ve suffered a great many catastrophes in my life.
Most of them never happened. - Mark Twain
Years ago in the deep south there lived an elderly black lady who enjoyed sitting in her rocking chair, in the afternoon, on the front porch of her small rural home. Friends who often strolled by would stop and chat with her. On one such occasion a gentleman waved to her and asked, "Auntie! how are you today?" She replied, "Not too good today. You see, when I feels good, I feels bad, cause I’m ‘fraid I’m gonna feel worse."
Without realizing it she found herself living in the world of the What If? Factor. Our first response is, "Poor lady." And then suddenly we remember that we, also, all too often make a visit to her world. Of course, our problems may not be a fear of sickness, but a thousand and one other What If?s, or "it might have been," or "if only."
The What If? Factor
No question that we can ask ourselves, in any language, can bring us more anxiety than, What If? Suddenly our minds begin to be overtaken with the possible, fearful answers to that two-word question. In the midst of our trepidation, we have the tendency to forget the watch-care of our Heavenly Father, and all of His promises made to us even before the problems became figments of our imaginations.
Thousands of us have suffered untold grief and countless tragedies have been played out on the imaginary stages of our lives. They are all too real to flippantly pass them off as an unwelcome fantasy. We should recognize them for what they really are. Satan often attacks us in our weakest places. How sad when we needlessly suffer such mental anguish, heartache and sorrow -- again and again. Can that be corrected, or at least curtailed? The answer is a resounding YES!
Often the What If? factor is helpful.
A certain amount of caution which is derived from the What If? factor is healthy. It causes us to buy insurance or take necessary precautions concerning dangerous situations that may take place in our lives. Presently a major insurance company, MetLife, is running commercials on television offering help with the "if" in LifE. But, when this healthy, helpful, precautionary factor grows into a monster, it can drive away peace, joy and happiness.
For you, or for me, the only way to conquer this problem is through simple faith in God and His promises, and with very wise, godly counsel. At the end of this chapter are some helpful Scriptures. Read them carefully and prayerfully when troubles begin to show their ugly heads.
Courage while facing the What If? factor.
Two hunters were making their way down a small trail, deep in a wooded area. They had walked for hours and had run out of water. Presently they spotted a small cabin, way up ahead. Smoke curled from the top of the chimney, so they assumed that someone must be home. "Surely we can get some water there," they thought. As they moved closer, they could see what appeared to be an elderly lady sitting on the front porch. They slowed their pace and approached with caution, not wanting to frighten her.
They thought it best to hide their guns, so they leaned them against a tree, positioning them so that they could not be seen from the porch. They, very carefully, moved a little closer. It seemed as if they had not been spotted by the lady, so, not wanting to walk right up to her, they decided to get her attention from a distance. One of the men shouted, "Is anyone here?" The lady slowly turned her head toward them, and after a few seconds said, "Jes me and Jesus."
The What If? factor held no fear for her. A long time before she had become secure in her position with God. She rested completely in Him. I’m sure she remembered that Christ had said to her, "I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee." Hebrews 13:5 What a treasure!! Many a wealthy man would give all of his fortune to have such peace and contentment. And so would many of you.
Trusting is more difficult for some.
Keeping the What If? factor in check is much more difficult for some than others. I don’t know all of the reasons for that, but it is a fact. Some have to work harder at it. Some, in order to conquer and manage it have to pray more and stay in the Word of God longer. Mature Christians seem to have less trouble with the management of it.
The promises of God are as sure as His very being. And be sure of this; He loves you and me with an everlasting, unfailing love that we will only be able to understand when we stand before His presence.
Consider these Scriptures:
"He that dwelleth in the secret place of the most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty. I will say of the Lord, He is my refuge and my fortress: my God; in Him will I trust...he shall call upon me, and I will answer him, I will be with him in trouble; I will deliver him, and honor him. With long life will I satisfy him, and show him my salvation." Psalm 91:1,2,15,16
"Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths." Proverbs 3:5,6
"For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind." 2 Timothy 1:7
"I sought the Lord, and He heard me, and delivered me from all my fears." Psalm 34:4
Every step toward Christ kills a doubt.
Every thought, word, and deed for Him carries you
away from discouragement.
- Theodore Ledyard Cuyler
Since fear is unreasonable, never try to reason with it.
So called "positive thinking" is no weapon against fear.
Only positive faith can rout the black menace of fear
and give life a radiance.
- Marion Hilliard
Fear knocked at the door. Faith answered. No one was there.
- Unknown
Monday, April 6, 2009
My most important published venture...LT
Published Works
My most important published venture...LT
A DARING FAITH IN A HAZARDOUS WORLD:
Building a Courageous Lifestyle with LEE ROBERSON
Compiled by Lindsay Terry
I took the 48 books that Dr. Lee Roberson penned and “lived” with them for months, searching through them page by page, paragraph by paragraph. I found 385 valuable and resplendent quotations on 135 subjects. I placed an authenticating Scripture with each one and listed the book from which I had taken it. The collection is published by Ambassador International.
It was my privilege to know Dr. Lee Roberson for more than fifty years. He passed away in 2007, at age 97. When I was sixteen years of age my pastor, Covell Keenam, took me to a Bible Conference in Toccoa Falls, Georgia. I saw Lee Roberson for the first time. I will never forget the commanding voice which filled the auditorium, the stateliness of the man, and his sincere preaching.
During my latter seminary years I had the joy of traveling with him to special meetings as a singer and trumpet player. He was always available to counsel with me, no matter what my need or problem might have been.
He founded Tennessee Temple University and Temple Theological Seminary. My wife, Marilyn, also a Temple grad, and I were married in the living room of Dr. and Mrs. Roberson’s home on July 1, 1955. It was a short “Dr. Roberson ceremony,” but very meaningful to us.
Since my student days I was totally convinced of Dr. Roberson’s commitment to the Lord’s service. He was also a man of extreme discipline in his personal life and his ministry schedule. His work ethic was exemplary. He took time to visit the church members in the local hospitals each afternoon when he was not traveling. Even with the care of the Church and the schools and a myriad of other responsibilities, when his schedule would permit, he would attend student activities such as recitals and ball games. The whole of it was very meaningful to him.
Dr. Roberson was a leader of men, “walking the point,” for more than three quarters of a century. After his college and seminary days he continued his study of theology and became an avid reader. The books he has devoured would equal a sizable library in number. The knowledge gained through building, the study of the Bible, reading, preaching, pastoring, practical experience, personal sorrow, sickness, and the observing of humanity around him equipped him to be a most effective leader. John Maxwell, one of our nation’s most competent writers and speakers on the subject of leadership, said, “Lee Roberson changed the course of my life.”
The Paintings
Marilyn
Commissioned Projects
One of the greatest thrills that Marilyn experiences is for someone to ask her to paint a particular picture for them. She has, on occasion, repainted a picture that she had already finished, simply because someone wanted a smaller version or because the original had already sold.
Recently a lady asked Marilyn to paint a beautiful scene that can be viewed from the back lawn of a home on a lake in Georgia. The painting was to be a gift for a young woman soon to be wed. The scene in question was the place where she had become engaged to be married. After a series of photographs were submitted and a general idea of the finished project was ascertained, Marilyn began to paint. The result was a beautiful painting that was accepted with unbridled joy and enthusiasm.
One of Marilyn’s most elaborate paintings was “Gazebo I.” It was a painting of a gazebo scene in the Washington Oaks State Gardens near St. Augustine, Florida. She painted it from a photograph that we made while touring the Park. Imagine her thrill when the painting sold to an excited purchaser. And a greater thrill when another couple wanted her to paint the scene for a special place in their newly purchased home near St. Augustine. She had several prints professionally made and they have been favorites also.
See Marilyn's paintings at our website.
www.lindsayandmarilynterry.com
Life’s Journey
Leadership
Everything rises and falls on Leaderhsip.
- Lee Roberson
God is the one who places powerful leadership characteristics in the breasts of certain individuals. Strong leadership tendencies can be honed and sharpened in some people, but they cannot be implanted into them through instructions. However, all of us will surely influence those around us. That lesson is emphasized in this topic. That kind of leadership is ours to use correctly or to abuse.
“Leave me be! I just want to do my own thing and let everyone else do the same!” That may be your attitude, but that is not reality. You WILL lead someone in some direction. All of us touch the lives of others who watch us daily. We will, by our actions or our words, influence others toward a life of sin and selfishness, or we will lead them toward that which is right and holy.
Even though we are not all strong leaders, there are certain leadership traits that we can develop in our lives, making us capable of influencing others in a more positive manner. We cannot escape our responsibilities to those around us. And one day when we stand before God, and will give account of our leadership.
Timely Scriptures for leaders to observe:
Let no man despise thy youth; but be thou an example of the believers, in word, in conversation, in charity, in spirit, in faith, in purity. 1Tim. 4:12
Those things, which ye have both learned, and received, and heard, and seen in me, do: and the God of peace shall be with you. Phil. 4:9
For even hereunto were ye called: because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example, that ye should follow his steps: 1Pet. 2:21
And ye became followers of us, and of the Lord, having received the word in much affliction, with joy of the Holy Ghost: 1Th. 1:6
That ye be not slothful, but followers of them who through faith and patience inherit the promises. Heb. 6:12
Some must follow, and some command, though all are made of clay.
- Henry Wadsworth Longfellow
A leader is one who learns from those around him,
compiles the information and gives it back to the followers.
- Jack Hyles
Leaders think.
They think because they are leaders.
They are leaders because they think.
- Paul Parker
Tuesday, March 17, 2009
A Best Seller, and more than 1,000 saved.
Blog 3-16-09
Lindsay and Marilyn Terry
Our Blog
Welcome! Each time you visit our blog we want you to take away some information that will help you to, (1) live a more victorious life, (2) know more about our resources and art, and (3) read something that will cause you to want to come back to our blog week after week.
Please pass the web site address along to your friends. We will do our best to make our blog as varied and informative as possible.
PUBLISHED WORKS
Lindsay
A Best Seller, and more than 1,000 saved.
As I stated in my last blog, one of the great joys of my life has been the writing of the tracts for American Tract Society (ATS), and Good News Publishers (GNP), the two largest tract publishing companies in the world.
After I had written a number of successful tracts, I settled on what I thought to be a great idea for a new tract. It was an old subject that I wanted to present in a new and different manner -- The Cross.
In order to tell the whole story of the cross, I knew I must do a lot of research about crucifixion. Some of things that I learned were surprising. I found that this method of execution started some six hundred years before Christ. It was abolished in the year 337 AD by Emperor Constantine I, out of veneration for Jesus Christ, the most famous victim of crucifixion.
After finishing the tract I submitted it to Good News Publishers, who secured the permission of Thomas Kinkade to use his famous “Sunrise” painting on the front. The Cross has been translated into Spanish -- La Cruz.
A veteran missionary in Mexico told me that he knows, personally, of at least 1,000 people who have accepted Christ as a direct result of the use La Cruz.
A combination of the two translations have sold approximately three million copies. It has for several years been one of the best-selling tracts published by Good News Publishers.
THE PAINTINGS
Marilyn
Patients enjoy them!
In recent times Flagler Hospital, a high-rise health center here in St. Augustine, Florida, has refurbished eight rooms on the eighth floor of their main tower making them uniquely elaborate and attractive with space for both the patients and family members. These suites have been called their “VIP” rooms.
To render the walls more attractive they decided to purchase some original oil paintings that could be enjoyed by people using those rooms. They even placed original, framed art in the bathrooms. Because it is a health center the paintings are of necessity framed in a special manner to allow thorough cleaning in their constant battle to prevent staph infection.
They settled on eight of Marilyn’s paintings for those rooms, some of which you can see in the “Marilyn’s Art” section of our website. Four of the eight paintings they chose are -- The View, Flameboyant, Croton and Surfside Palms.
LIFE’S JOURNEY
Temptation
The person who is no long tempted has long since been laid to rest.
- Jerry McCant
A man who was asked to speak to a group of young men, asked an older man, “What shall I speak on?” His reply, “There is only one subject worth speaking about and that is ‘temptation.” He was simply emphasizing the universality of temptation for us all!
The greatest temptation for most of us, especially young people, is to do what the rest of the gang is doing. All too often it is wrong. Wisdom, for the most part, comes with maturity, and the road to maturity and self-discipline is long and hard and most of us never quite get to the end of it. Apart from God we are as weak as water.
We are out of “Paradise” now, but the “tree of temptation” still stands where it did then, in the midst, where all roads meet, where we must pass it every day. Someone has defined temptation as an influence by which a man receives a momentum in the direction of evil.
The appeal of temptation is to satisfy a legitimate need in a wrong way, or as Dr. Warren Wiersbe put it, “Temptation is an opportunity to solve a problem out of the will of God.”
Sad is the condition of the man, woman, teenager or child who does not realize that apart from the protective power of God in our lives, we are as weak as water.
Scriptures that are helpful with Temptation.
And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil: For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, for ever. Amen. - Matt. 6:13
Enter not into the path of the wicked, and go not in the way of evil men.
Avoid it, pass not by it, turn from it, and pass away. - Prov. 4:14,15
Let not sin therefore reign in your mortal body, that ye should obey it in the lusts thereof. Neither yield ye your members as instruments of unrighteousness unto sin: but yield yourselves unto God, as those that are alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness unto God. - Romans 6:12,13
Let no man say when he is tempted, I am tempted of God: for God cannot be tempted with evil, neither tempteth he any man: But every man is tempted, when he is drawn away of his own lust, and enticed. - James 1:13,14
Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. - Eph. 6:11
There are several good protections against temptation,
but the best one of all is cowardice.
- Mark Twain
Temptations, unlike opportunities, will always give you a second chance.
- A. O. Batista
We are never strong enough to risk walking into temptation.
- Unknown
Lindsay and Marilyn Terry
Our Blog
Welcome! Each time you visit our blog we want you to take away some information that will help you to, (1) live a more victorious life, (2) know more about our resources and art, and (3) read something that will cause you to want to come back to our blog week after week.
Please pass the web site address along to your friends. We will do our best to make our blog as varied and informative as possible.
PUBLISHED WORKS
Lindsay
A Best Seller, and more than 1,000 saved.
As I stated in my last blog, one of the great joys of my life has been the writing of the tracts for American Tract Society (ATS), and Good News Publishers (GNP), the two largest tract publishing companies in the world.
After I had written a number of successful tracts, I settled on what I thought to be a great idea for a new tract. It was an old subject that I wanted to present in a new and different manner -- The Cross.
In order to tell the whole story of the cross, I knew I must do a lot of research about crucifixion. Some of things that I learned were surprising. I found that this method of execution started some six hundred years before Christ. It was abolished in the year 337 AD by Emperor Constantine I, out of veneration for Jesus Christ, the most famous victim of crucifixion.
After finishing the tract I submitted it to Good News Publishers, who secured the permission of Thomas Kinkade to use his famous “Sunrise” painting on the front. The Cross has been translated into Spanish -- La Cruz.
A veteran missionary in Mexico told me that he knows, personally, of at least 1,000 people who have accepted Christ as a direct result of the use La Cruz.
A combination of the two translations have sold approximately three million copies. It has for several years been one of the best-selling tracts published by Good News Publishers.
THE PAINTINGS
Marilyn
Patients enjoy them!
In recent times Flagler Hospital, a high-rise health center here in St. Augustine, Florida, has refurbished eight rooms on the eighth floor of their main tower making them uniquely elaborate and attractive with space for both the patients and family members. These suites have been called their “VIP” rooms.
To render the walls more attractive they decided to purchase some original oil paintings that could be enjoyed by people using those rooms. They even placed original, framed art in the bathrooms. Because it is a health center the paintings are of necessity framed in a special manner to allow thorough cleaning in their constant battle to prevent staph infection.
They settled on eight of Marilyn’s paintings for those rooms, some of which you can see in the “Marilyn’s Art” section of our website. Four of the eight paintings they chose are -- The View, Flameboyant, Croton and Surfside Palms.
LIFE’S JOURNEY
Temptation
The person who is no long tempted has long since been laid to rest.
- Jerry McCant
A man who was asked to speak to a group of young men, asked an older man, “What shall I speak on?” His reply, “There is only one subject worth speaking about and that is ‘temptation.” He was simply emphasizing the universality of temptation for us all!
The greatest temptation for most of us, especially young people, is to do what the rest of the gang is doing. All too often it is wrong. Wisdom, for the most part, comes with maturity, and the road to maturity and self-discipline is long and hard and most of us never quite get to the end of it. Apart from God we are as weak as water.
We are out of “Paradise” now, but the “tree of temptation” still stands where it did then, in the midst, where all roads meet, where we must pass it every day. Someone has defined temptation as an influence by which a man receives a momentum in the direction of evil.
The appeal of temptation is to satisfy a legitimate need in a wrong way, or as Dr. Warren Wiersbe put it, “Temptation is an opportunity to solve a problem out of the will of God.”
Sad is the condition of the man, woman, teenager or child who does not realize that apart from the protective power of God in our lives, we are as weak as water.
Scriptures that are helpful with Temptation.
And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil: For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, for ever. Amen. - Matt. 6:13
Enter not into the path of the wicked, and go not in the way of evil men.
Avoid it, pass not by it, turn from it, and pass away. - Prov. 4:14,15
Let not sin therefore reign in your mortal body, that ye should obey it in the lusts thereof. Neither yield ye your members as instruments of unrighteousness unto sin: but yield yourselves unto God, as those that are alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness unto God. - Romans 6:12,13
Let no man say when he is tempted, I am tempted of God: for God cannot be tempted with evil, neither tempteth he any man: But every man is tempted, when he is drawn away of his own lust, and enticed. - James 1:13,14
Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. - Eph. 6:11
There are several good protections against temptation,
but the best one of all is cowardice.
- Mark Twain
Temptations, unlike opportunities, will always give you a second chance.
- A. O. Batista
We are never strong enough to risk walking into temptation.
- Unknown
Wednesday, February 18, 2009
Welcome! Each time you visit our blog we want you to take away some information that will help you to, (1) live a more victorious life, (2) know more about our resources and art, and (3) read something that will cause you to want to come back to our blog week after week.
Please pass the web site address along to your friends. We will do our best to make our blog as varied and informative as possible.
PUBLISHED WORKS
Lindsay
One of the great joys of my life has been the writing of the tracts for American Tract Society (ATS), and Good News Publishers (GNP), the two largest tract publishing companies in the world.
Several years ago I was passing along the street in front of the ATS building and the thought came to me, "I would like to write a tract." I quickly dismissed the idea thinking, "I’ve never written a tract before. What would I write about?" So, I just kept driving. A few months later, all of a sudden, I thought about the tract idea again. This time I thought, "The story behind Amazing Grace might be a good background for a tract." I proceeded to develop the idea and called it The Amazing Story Behind AMAZING GRACE.
After I presented it to ATS it took them two years to get it in print. They were not as sold on the idea as I was. To make a long story shorter, in a relatively brief period of time they sold more than a million copies, with numbers of reports about people coming to know Christ. As of today ATS has sold more than 3 million copies of that tract. I gave them the manuscript to use as they wished. I don’t make royalties on the sale of the tracts.
Next time: The amazing story behind the tract, The CROSS. Don’t miss it.
THE PAINTINGS
Marilyn
A year or so ago Marilyn and I went as guests of some friends on a a boat ride down the St. Johns River, beginning at Hontoon Park, Florida. As we rode along we soon came to a wilderness part of the St. Johns River where all manner of wildlife abound. We observed, up close, bald eagles, cranes, large turtles, alligators and several other species of wild life.
Sudden we came upon a giant gator, sunning himself (or herself), on the bank of the river. We eased the boat in toward the shore in order to get a good photo -- all of the time shooting pictures -- until we came so close the gator became uneasy and slipped into the water.
When we reached home we found that the picture of the gator would be a wonderful subject for one of Marilyn’s paintings. Indeed it was! She painted a picture that she called, "Gator Territory."
Not long after she entered it into an art showing at the St. Augustine Art Association. A gentleman touring the exhibit said, "I must have that painting for my office at home!" He is a huge fan of the University of Florida Gators. And so he bought it right off the wall.
Since then she has painted Gator Territory II. It is so realistic some have mistakenly viewed it as a photograph. I hope you like it.
Please pass the web site address along to your friends. We will do our best to make our blog as varied and informative as possible.
PUBLISHED WORKS
Lindsay
One of the great joys of my life has been the writing of the tracts for American Tract Society (ATS), and Good News Publishers (GNP), the two largest tract publishing companies in the world.
Several years ago I was passing along the street in front of the ATS building and the thought came to me, "I would like to write a tract." I quickly dismissed the idea thinking, "I’ve never written a tract before. What would I write about?" So, I just kept driving. A few months later, all of a sudden, I thought about the tract idea again. This time I thought, "The story behind Amazing Grace might be a good background for a tract." I proceeded to develop the idea and called it The Amazing Story Behind AMAZING GRACE.
After I presented it to ATS it took them two years to get it in print. They were not as sold on the idea as I was. To make a long story shorter, in a relatively brief period of time they sold more than a million copies, with numbers of reports about people coming to know Christ. As of today ATS has sold more than 3 million copies of that tract. I gave them the manuscript to use as they wished. I don’t make royalties on the sale of the tracts.
Next time: The amazing story behind the tract, The CROSS. Don’t miss it.
THE PAINTINGS
Marilyn
A year or so ago Marilyn and I went as guests of some friends on a a boat ride down the St. Johns River, beginning at Hontoon Park, Florida. As we rode along we soon came to a wilderness part of the St. Johns River where all manner of wildlife abound. We observed, up close, bald eagles, cranes, large turtles, alligators and several other species of wild life.
Sudden we came upon a giant gator, sunning himself (or herself), on the bank of the river. We eased the boat in toward the shore in order to get a good photo -- all of the time shooting pictures -- until we came so close the gator became uneasy and slipped into the water.
When we reached home we found that the picture of the gator would be a wonderful subject for one of Marilyn’s paintings. Indeed it was! She painted a picture that she called, "Gator Territory."
Not long after she entered it into an art showing at the St. Augustine Art Association. A gentleman touring the exhibit said, "I must have that painting for my office at home!" He is a huge fan of the University of Florida Gators. And so he bought it right off the wall.
Since then she has painted Gator Territory II. It is so realistic some have mistakenly viewed it as a photograph. I hope you like it.
LIFE’S JOURNEY
Attitude
Our attitude toward things is likely in the long run
to be more important than the things themselves.
- A. W. Tozer
Your attitude is your mental approach to your daily tasks, whether they be simple or extremely difficult. Your daily attitude arises out of the control center that the Bible calls your heart. Therefore, when you get out of bed each morning you should ask yourself, "What will my attitude be toward the things that will happen to me today?" Your response to those daily challenges in your life makes for success or failure. Someone much more wise than I has suggested that life is 10% what happens to us and 90% how we respond to it.
In the "concert" of our lives, a simple phone call can, on any day, bring news of tragedy that will stop life’s music with a deafening silence. What then? You have been dealt a heavy blow. You are deeply wounded. Your attitude at such a time may or may not be, "I’ll lie here for awhile and rest; and though I’m "bleeding," I WILL get up again and fight on! During those times we can rely heavily on the promises of the Heavenly Father given to us in His Word. Oftentimes we cannot change the circumstances, but we can with the Lord’s help rise above the circumstances.
No amount of Stoicism or wishful thinking will cause the reality of the problems to go away. We must learn to recognize the real truth of the situation. When your attitude is right no barrier is too tall, no fight too difficult, no challenge too great, and no price is too high.
Following are some wonderful Scriptures to help us with our attitudes.
"For as he thinketh in his heart, so is he." Proverbs 23:7
"Out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh." Matthew 12:34
"Therefore hath the LORD recompensed me according to my righteousness, according to the cleanness of my hands in his eyesight." Psalms 18:24
"Man looketh on the outward appearance but the Lord looketh on the heart." 1 Samuel 16:7
"Keep thy heart with all diligence; for out of it are the issues of life." Proverbs. 4:23
I long to accomplish a great and noble task, but it is my chief duty
to accomplish humble tasks as though they were great and noble.
- Helen Keller
The man who wins may have been counted out
several times, but he didn’t hear the referee.
- Unknown
Adversities do not make the man either weak or strong,
but they reveal what he is.
- Faith Forsyte
I hate to see things done by halves:
if it be right, do it boldly, and if it be wrong, leave it undone.
- Gilpina
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
